Journal of the Electrochemical Society, Vol.144, No.3, 1050-1055, 1997
Oxygen Permeation in ZrO2-CeO2-CaO for Application to Oxygen Separation from Thermally Decomposed H2O
To prepare a high-temperature oxygen permeation membrane, the enhancement of oxygen permeation rate in calucia-stabilized zirconia by CeO2 doping was studied. Two tube-shaped specimens (phi 1.3 x 0.9 cm), 0.5 and 1.5 cm in length, were used to measure the bulk oxygen permeability from a N-2 + O-2 gas mixture into He, eliminating the oxygen permeation caused by the short-circuiting; effect of Pt O-rings which were used to seal the interface of specimens and alumina tubes. Since the oxygen source was N-2 + O-2, mechanical oxygen leakage was estimated from nitrogen leakage into He. From the measurement of oxygen permeations at 1100 similar to 1800 K in [(ZrO2)(1-x)(CeO2)(x)](0.9)(CaO)(0.1) (X = 0.1 similar to 1.0), it was shown that the oxygen permeability, Jr, which was normalized by the temperature and the oxygen partial pressures outside and inside the specimen, and the electronic conductivity which was at 1 atm of oxygen partial pressure and was calculated from Jr, increased exponentially with temperature and X for X = less than or equal to 0.5 while showing saturation tendency for X > 0.5. The oxygen separation membrane of X = 0.4 similar to 0.5 seems reasonable because of the remarkable permeability and lower content of CeO2 which has higher vapor pressure at high temperature.